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Once Upon a Time in Costa Mesa
August 4th, 2026 Review by Stuart Karpel
Before the Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair became packed with thousands of life-long Cypress Hill fans this past Wednesday, concertgoers explored the incredible atmosphere of the fairgrounds.
From food vendors selling warm funnel cakes, fresh lemonade and giant turkey legs, to a variety of fair-worthy events like pig-racing, the day was tailor-made for an energy-filled evening.
Once the sun began to set, people from every corner of California raced to their seats to catch the opening act, Ozomatli, who absolutely brought the vibes.
Their songs, which represent the eclectic blend of cultures in Los Angeles with a beautiful fusion of hip-hop, salsa, reggae and merengue, have shared the same stage as many other infamous artists including Santana, Maná, and of course the legendary rap group, Cypress Hill.
The entire audience appeared impressed by the high-energy band as they played their talented trumpet and flute solos, their brief performance ending in a symphony of claps and whistling from the crowd.
Their encore consisted of walking up the amphitheater aisles, playing the tune known everywhere around the world, “O Le Le,” along with every fan on their feet, hoping to get a closer glimpse of the bandmembers who had definitely set the tone for an amazing night.
If you’re knowledgeable of Cypress Hill’s music catalogue, the air in OC wasn’t just taken over by an itch to dance. A “loud,” yet aromatic, smell lingered through every inch of the stadium, creating a relaxing yet uplifting mood that a concert with this band wouldn’t make sense without.
The scent wafting through the venue also fit perfectly with the set up of the rap group’s turntable set which featured a gigantic skull with a weed leaf across its head and red flashing eyes that peeked through the scented smoke.
After a brief intermission, DJ Lord popped up on stage and warmed up the turntable, as well as the crowd with some wicked reverbs. The feeling that crossed through everybody’s mind at this point was exactly what Lord shouted out next, “Are y’all ready for Cypress Hill?!”
Just minutes later the headliners walked onto stage, asked the crowd, “When this shit goes down, you better be ready!” and next thing we heard was “How I Could Just Kill a Man,” “We Ain’t Going Out Like That,” and “Tequila Sunrise.”
No matter if you are new to their music with a youthful curiosity or you’ve been rocking with the group since they first appeared in the music scene in ‘88, it’s undebatable just how great they sounded live. Every drumbeat, bar, and reverb made by B-Real, Sen-Dog, Eric Bobo, and DJ Lord could be heard from as far as the opposite end of the fairground.
As the group continued to kill it onstage to the foundational beats of hip-hop, it caused fans that had unconsciously kept a stank-face for so long, that it began to hurt, to sing along to familiar choruses all throughout the night. But most notably – not one fan sat down the entire time, which should be telling just how excited people were to see them perform.
Another couple tracks that stood out were “Hits From the Bong” and “I Wanna Get High.” They not only brought the enticing feeling of wanting to join in with a joint of your own, but as soon as B-Real lit up his own joint, the crowd had only one idea on their minds… unified peace.
Their genuine attitude with the fans also stood out, most notably when B-Real emphasized his performance on an individual level and made unforgettable memories by interacting with fan’s phones pointed at him in the front row.
A bit more than halfway through their set, B-Real and Sen-Dog walked off stage, which then allowed the drummer and DJ, Eric Bobo and Lord to have their own brief duet. This combination of 808s and drumstick strokes complimented each other perfectly, representing the growth of hip-hop culture over the past decades, along with the ever-changing pace of musical engineering.
Once the frontmen came back onto the stage, the group did a couple more songs leading up to the finale in “Lowrider,” “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That,” and “When the Shit Goes Down.” But before their send-off, they thanked everyone for coming out to see them perform and for enjoying their music, which I’m sure for them felt more like a hometown reunion rather than just an ordinary concert.
With their last song, B-Real wanted to do a track that wasn’t made by Cypress, yet ideally would get the fans to unify once more. He asked the crowd to sit down until they heard the beat drop, which people willingly did, but hadn’t wanted to do so since they first got to their seats. But as soon as fans heard that unmistakably infamous horn from “Jump Around,” excitement roared through the air and seconds later, thousands of people were unironically jumping up and down, having the time of their lives.
By the end of the evening, fairgoers and concert attendees alike had witnessed the end to a phenomenal performance, as well as another excellent chapter in Southern California concert history. The night was full of nostalgia and mind-boggling beats, reminding fans why Cypress deserves their notoriety, and to be seen as icons of West Coast hip-hop.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Todd Markel Rock Images
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SID 260806 TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
